What Is the Shopify App "PickFlow"?
PickFlow is an app that automatically imports your unfulfilled Shopify orders and lets you complete everything from warehouse or backroom picking to barcode inspection with just a phone. Warehouse staff simply scan a product's barcode using their iPhone or Android browser. If the scanned product doesn't match the order, or the quantity is exceeded, an error appears on the spot, so even brand-new staff can prevent mis-shipments. No dedicated handheld terminal or warehouse management system (WMS) is required. It also supports bulk printing of picking lists with shelf locations, inviting workers, and automatic tagging on completion, with both the admin and the work screen available in Japanese. Free for up to 50 picks per month.
PickFlow's features
Your phone's camera becomes a handheld terminal
PickFlow's biggest feature is that you can get started without buying a single dedicated device. Warehouse staff open a browser on their own phone and scan a product's barcode with the camera. The moment it's scanned, it's checked against the order, and any mismatched product or excess quantity is flagged with an error on the spot. This turns "noticing after it's shipped" into "stopping it before it goes in the box." No app installation is needed either — staff can start working just by opening an invitation link.
Print picking lists and packing slips in batches of up to 100
There's no need to give up paper picking lists. Select a batch of unfulfilled orders and print picking lists and packing slips together in batches of up to 100. Since the picking list has the shelf location and the order number as a barcode printed on it, the workflow of gathering products by reading the paper, then scanning the order number to inspect on a phone, works seamlessly. Morning shipping prep finishes in just a few clicks.
Bulk-register shelf locations via CSV, shown on both the printed list and the phone
Once you register a shelf location (e.g., A-1-2) for each product, that location is shown both on the printed picking list and on the worker's phone screen. Even thousands of products can be bulk-registered via CSV, importing up to 10,000 rows in a single import. This cuts down on time spent hunting for "where was that product again," and lets even new hires become productive before they've memorized the layout of the warehouse.
Invite any number of workers, no Shopify account required
Adding a warehouse staff member (called a "worker" in the app) is as simple as sending an invitation link. Staff open the link on their own phone, set an 8-digit PIN, and can start right away. It doesn't consume any of your Shopify staff-account slots at all, so you can add short-term part-time staff during busy seasons without any hesitation. On the Standard plan, the number of workers is unlimited.
Orders are automatically tagged the moment picking is complete
Once inspection is done, a tag such as "Checked" is automatically added to the Shopify order. The name of the staff member who handled it can also be left as a tag, so a record of "who inspected it, and when" stays attached to the order itself. Combined with filters in the Shopify admin or with Shopify Flow, you can do things like moving only inspected orders forward into your shipping workflow.
Recommended for these kinds of businesses and stores
- Stores that ship from their own warehouse or backroom and experience mix-ups or quantity errors
- Stores where pre-shipment inspection relies on the naked eye, and checks get sloppier the busier things get
- Stores that have held off on a handheld terminal or WMS because of the cost and effort involved
- Stores that want a shipping process even part-timers or new hires can't get wrong
- Stores that want to prevent missing components in bundled/set products
PickFlow's recommended features
Matches against both barcode and SKU, and can inspect products with no barcode
PickFlow matches not just by barcode but also by SKU. For a product that has no barcode registered, you can prepare a label that turns its SKU into a barcode and scan that instead for inspection. For handmade or oversized items that have neither registered, enable the manual-pick product tag in the tag settings and attach that tag to the product — you can then mark it as inspected using the "Confirm" button on screen. It's fine to have products with and without barcodes mixed within a single order.
Automatically expands bundled products into their components
For cases like a gift set where multiple products are sold under a single SKU, register the parent product and its components in the admin ahead of time. When an order comes in, it's automatically expanded into its components, and each item is listed individually on both the picking list and the phone screen. Since each component gets its own barcode inspection, this structurally prevents the mistake of "one item missing from the box."
Start work directly from the order number barcode on the picking list
The top right of a printed picking list carries a barcode for the order number. Warehouse staff just scan it using the "Scan" tab on their phone, and the inspection screen for that order opens immediately — no need to search for the order. Even in a workflow that goes back and forth between paper and phone, this doesn't add any extra steps.
Gift messages and personalization details are printed on the picking list too
Custom attributes attached to an order (such as a requested delivery time or a gift message), custom attributes on individual line items (such as personalization text or engraving color), and notes written in product metafields (such as "fragile, use extra cushioning") can all be printed on the picking list. Information meant for the warehouse appears only on the picking list, not on the packing slip that goes to the customer.
The packing slip can also be customized to match your store
The packing slip included with the customer's package can show your store name, address, and contact details, along with a thank-you message and a QR code linking to a URL that includes the order number. If you ship overseas, you can set separate English-language store information and thank-you message. You can also toggle which fields are displayed, such as SKU, shipping method, and product images.
PickFlow's pricing plans
There are two plans, with no difference in features. The only difference is the monthly cap on completed picks and the number of workers.
[Free] Free of charge
- Completed picks: up to 50/month
- Workers: up to 2
- All features available
[Standard] $19.99/month + usage-based fee
- Completed picks: unlimited
- Workers: unlimited
- Usage-based fee starts at $0.09 per pick and drops as volume increases, down to as low as $0.04
Since the free plan has no feature restrictions, you can try it out on your actual shipping operations rather than just a test store. Stores doing 50 picks or fewer a month can keep using it for free indefinitely. Shopify Plus isn't required — it's available on every plan.
How to set up PickFlow
See the help pages below for step-by-step instructions with screenshots.
The story and background behind developing the app
What led to developing this app?
It started with a question from one of our customers: "Is there a picking app I can use in Japanese?" They told us that picking apps made overseas had some parts that weren't very user-friendly, which led us to build an easy-to-use app where the entire picking process could be completed with just a phone. That was the beginning of PickFlow.
What has stood out most while developing the app
What's stood out most is a review from a store that adopted the app saying, "Our mis-shipments have dropped to zero." Mis-shipments lead to reshipping costs, apologies to customers, and can hurt review scores and brand reputation, so hearing that it had been reduced to zero was the greatest encouragement we could ask for.
What was hardest about developing the app
What was hardest was building out the user experience so the actual picking, inspection, and shipping operation flows smoothly. To make the whole sequence — from scanning with the phone's camera through to completion — something workers could repeat on the floor without hesitation, we revisited the screen flow and scan reliability many times over.
What we put the most effort into when developing the app
We put the most effort into how clear and simple the worker screen is. Work finishes just by opening an order, scanning, and pressing complete, with errors made immediately clear through sound and color. Our bar is that even a new hire with no product knowledge should be able to pick on their own from day one.
What's next for the app, and what we want to take on
We place great importance on continuing to improve based on feedback from the customers actually using the app. Since it supports both Japanese and English, we'll keep refining the picking and inspection experience by learning from the field, both from stores in Japan and overseas.
Other frequently asked questions
Is inquiry or onboarding support available?
Yes. If you're already using the app, you can reach out in Japanese via chat in the app's admin.
We also take questions about features before you sign up, and consultations on whether it fits your operation, so please feel free to reach out using the form below.
Can I change plans partway through?
Yes, you can change at any time. You can both upgrade and downgrade from the app's "Pricing plan" screen.
Are there any Shopify apps or services it can integrate with?
Since PickFlow writes picking results back as order tags, it can be combined with any app that handles tags, or with Shopify Flow. For example, you could set up "move to shipping processing once the Checked tag is added" or "exclude orders tagged as picking-started from automatic cancellation."
Are there any case studies?
Please check the Shopify App Store reviews page for feedback from stores using the app.
Shopify App Store reviews page
In closing
A single mis-shipment looks like a small mistake on its own, but once you factor in reshipping costs, apologies to customers, and the impact on reviews, it's a problem that steadily wears on your e-commerce operation.
We built PickFlow as a tool you can use before investing in a handheld terminal or WMS. With just the phone you already have and your Shopify order data, you can start barcode inspection with today's shipments.
Every feature is free to use for up to 50 picks a month and 2 workers. Give the free plan a try first.
